John J. Cali String Quartet Composition Competition

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

The John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University is pleased to announce the inauguration of the John J. Cali String Quartet Composition Competition. Composers who are legal (permanent or temporary) residents in the United States are invited to apply for a commission prize of US$2,500.00 towards a new work for string quartet. The work will be premiered by the Heimat Quartet (2018 John J. Cali School of Music Graduate String-Quartet-in-Residence; ) at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in March of 2019. Members of the Shanghai Quartet (John J. Cali School of Music Ensemble-in-Residence) will coach Heimat Quartet members on the commissioned work throughout the entire process. There is no application fee, and all application material must be submitted electronically by June 3rd (Sunday), 11:59 pm ECT.

GUIDELINES
1. Award:  A $2,500.00 commission fee towards a new work for string quartet. The work must strictly adhere to the Heimat Quartet instrumentation: two violins, viola, and cello. The duration of the final composition must be between 10 and 15 minutes. The work must be entirely acoustic; no live electronic processing, prerecorded part, or amplification is allowed.

2. Jury: Marcos Balter (composer); Anna Thorvaldsdottir (composer); Du Yun (composer); Members of the Shanghai Quartet

3. Eligibility: U.S. residents (permanent or temporary), regardless of age. Individuals from underrepresented groups in contemporary music composition are strongly encouraged to apply, including (but not limited to) women, members of the GLBTQ community, and non-Caucasian artists. There is no entry fee, and applications must be submitted electronically.

4. Application (deadline: June 3rd 2018, 11:59 pm ECT): On a single e-mail, please provide the following:

a. PDF files as attachments: – 2 (two) works composed in the last 5 years. These works need not be string quartets, but must prominently feature string writing.

b. On e-mail body (no file attachments, please):
– Hyperlink to online audio or video recordings of each submitted work.
– Composer’s biography (maximum 500 words);
– Composer’s contact information (e-mail, phone number, physical address). If available, please provide a link to the composer’s website.

c. Send e-mail with the subject line “2018 John J. Cali String Quartet Composition Competition (LAST NAME, FIRST NAME),” to: vinsonj@montclair.edu.

5. Selection of winning composer: The winner and remaining applicants will be notified of the jury’s decision by June 18th 2018.

6. Timeline: The winning composer must adhere to the following timeline

a. Late June, 2018: videoconference or in-person meeting between the selected composer and members of the Heimat Quartet.

b. October 15, 2018: First Draft deadline. Composer must submit PDF files of the draft score and parts to the Heimat Quartet. Ensemble members will read through the material, and confer with the composer.

c. November 5, 2018: Second Draft deadline. Composers must submit PDF files of the draft score and parts to the Heimat Quartet. Ensemble members will read through the material, and confer with the composer.

d. November 18, 2018: deadline for final score and parts.